Two new peanut varieties have been developed containing higher amounts of oleic acid, a “healthy” fat. The fat in typical peanuts is comprised of 50% oleic acid. These amount in these new peanuts is 75%. However, the saturated fat content remains the same at 20%. Peanuts have already been touted as a healthy food with studies showing that they may increase metabolism and lower triglyceride levels.

Following through on the revival of interest in the designs of Russel Wright, two books of his own material have been published. First is “Russel Wright’s Menu Cookbook: A Guide to Easier Entertaining
” with complete menus for 15 meals, including table setting recommendations. It was put together by his daughter from his own collection of recipes. The publisher has also re-released Russel and Mary Wright’s “Guide to Easier Living” a bestseller in the 1950s.

You may have stumbled across General Electric’s eye-catching online ad which featured an animated marker and drawing program. Viewers could draw their own little sketches and watch the marker animate the lines back to them. The email to friends feature further increased the visibility of the ad. This simple, but compelling advertisement went on to win industry awards and had a click-through rate three times higher than average. The email option had a 28% higher “opening rate” than average. Happy with the results, GE is planning something new but similar for January 2004.

A new Charlie Brown television special is airing this Friday on ABC. In “Lucy Must Be Traded Charlie Brown” the ever suffering manager of a team with 900 straight losses (our zig-zag shirted hero) must deal with his incompetent right fielder who has never caught a ball. A trade is proposed and the usual Peanuts brand of angst and humor ensues. The special kicks off ABC’s annual Charlie Brown season which will continue with the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chirstmas, and Valentine specials. David Benoit interprets Vince Guaraldi’s jazz piano themes for the newer programs.

TV Picks reports that West Wing DVDs (yes, the U.S. ones, finally) for Season 1 are available for pre-order from Amazon. Release date is November 18, 2003, which makes me wonder what Bravo’s $1 million per episode syndication deal stipulated about the DVD release conditions. They did not get much time.

Throughout grade school we were often treated to filmstrips of picture books. Sometimes the teacher read the book aloud to the projected images but more often there was an accompanying cassette tape with a “ding” to indicate when the strip should be advanced. There were many eagerly raised hands when the teacher asked for a volunteer to run the projector. These filmstrips were usually branded with a familiar three-triangle logo, symbolizing the trees and “W” of the company Weston Woods. Weston is a little town near my Connecticut hometown and I never considered that these filmstrips from a local company were being sent to schools across the U.S. I ran across their logo again recently and looked them up. Weston Woods became part of Scholastic, Inc in 1996. It was founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel who went on to found the Weston Woods Institute, “a nonprofit group that supports innovative techniques in educational and cultural communications with children.”

Anniversary Dinner #2
For our second anniversary dinner, far from our “known quantity” Bay Area restaurants, my husband selected Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Washington. Set on a side road with a non-descript exterior, the restaurant has a cozy interior with just enough light to see your companions and meal. Service was professional but not overly formal, and dress was business casual.

Overall the dishes were a study in contrasts, with textures and flavors working
together in a superb melange. Here is the menu I selected:

Grilled Octopus with Fennel, Chickpeas and Green Sauce
Long thin pieces of octopus grilled to an almost crispy texture contrasted well
with neutral chickpeas. The spicy fennel was yet another contrast and the green
sauce served mainly as a backdrop with olive oil dominating.

Arugula, Grilled Nectarine and Fennel with Pinenuts, and Shaved Cured Foie Gras
Strong, fresh arugula sat in the middle covered generously with thin, buttery
foie gras slices. The grilled nectarine was surprisingly not very sweet, but a nice
match for the other flavors. The fennel and pinenuts added additional layers of
flavor, but the scrumptious foie gras ruled over all.

Rabbit Braised in Arneis with Pancetta, Chickpea Crepe and Arugula
The rabbit was presented both on the bone and in small boneless pieces, effectively
creating two different meats. The dark meat was of course the more flavorful, with
a salty pancetta flavor outside. The chickpea crepe was large, folded into crisp
quarters. Again, spicy arugula provided the right contrast.

Valhrona Chocolate Truffle Cake with Fresh Mint Gelato, Espresso Sauce and Sara’s Thin Mint
The cake was a small warm circle, gooey on the inside. The cold gelato scoop on top was
a perfect match as it melted onto its dark chocolately pedestal. A surrounding ring of espresso sauce
was perhaps too sweet and gooey, but for a dessert that may be a silly complaint. The
slice of thin mint was a crystalline green layer of minty sugar sandwiched between a
dark chocolate coating.

Further proof that if it’s collectible, it’s on the Internet (and what isn’t collectible?): The Museum of Coathangers. (via Bifurcated Rivets)

The Matrix Revolutions international trailer is up at the official site.

Mike Spangler has the best reason for collecting art deco bikes from the prewar years: “If I’m in a bad mood, they actually make me happy.” (via Obscure Store)